MEA CULPA

Elton John says he's sorry for saying Madonnashould be shot for "lip-syncing" on stage  an accusation Madge's rep vehemently denied. "I don't want to escalate it because I like Madonna," he tells Entertainment Weekly. "She's been to my house for dinner. It was something that was said in the heat of the moment, and probably should not have been said... It was my fault. I instigated the whole thing. But it applies to all those bloody teenage singers." In other words, Ashlee Simpson should be shot.